A Day In The Life Of A Pilot Options

[Daniel2986]

Okay, so once the pilot arrives to his destination (away from home) where does he stay for the night? Who pays for that? who pays for the transportatin to and from the airport (if staying at a hotel)? Who pays for the meals? thanks!

-Daniel

[SF3aviatrix]

Okay, so once the pilot arrives to his destination (away from home) where does he stay for the night? Who pays for that? who pays for the transportatin to and from the airport (if staying at a hotel)? Who pays for the meals?

The company pays for a hotel. They need hundreds if not thousands of rooms each night, so they usually have contracts set up at a cut rate with a hotel in each city to provide the rooms. If transportation is not part of the contract, they take a taxi that the hotel usually pays for. Meals are the crews responsibility. That is why "per diem" is included in a pilots pay. That is usually $1-2 per hour spent away from base to help cover such expenses. It may or may not actually cover the money spent. Abroad from the US, it may be different: A friend who flew for an Australian carrier said their per diem was issued in cash at the overnight instead of in the end of the month paycheck.

[BAe146/AvroRJ100]

Okay, so once the pilot arrives to his destination (away from home) where does he stay for the night? Who pays for that? who pays for the transportatin to and from the airport (if staying at a hotel)? Who pays for the meals? thanks!

-Daniel

Hey Daniel,

Quick background, Im a 23 year old First Officer with British Airway here in England.
As you may have guessed by the name I fly the BAe146 & AvroRJ100.

When were on stopover's, we are met by the taxi driver outside the airport entrance who is
paid for by company, he take us (the whole crew) to hotel (either HIlton, SAS Radisson, or Crown Plaza)
which is paid for by company. We get a breakfast and an `allowance` which varies from destination to
destination (ie more in expensive Geneva than say Frankfurt) which can usually buy a meal and a beer or two.
If you get anything put on your room BA have a discounted rate, between 20-35% off the bill.
Then when required the taxi turnes up and takes you to the Airport for another fantastic day at work.

Hope this is of help

John

[Tpattyii]

low amount of sleep, life attached to a pager, never know where you are going to go until about 5-10 minutes before departure...unless its not busy, then you sit in a hotel. you do that for about 9-10 days, go home for 5 and then do it again.

(this is 135 freight)

[SF3aviatrix]

A 4 day trip with a regional airline

[kiwiboy86]

Just to add my 2 cents I'm from New Zealand, 20 years old, have a measly 340 hours flighttime and am 6 weeks away from finishing my instructor rating.

For me I just roll into the aero club, print and check the WX, do my weight/balance and flightplan on the computer, pre-flight and fuel, call the tower and then head off!

Simple as

But then again the biggest plane I fly is a P68C Partenavia, which is a light twin with 6 seats.
But I'm still new so im happy where I am at the moment!

[EGSH]

Hey Tall dude, Im not a pilot, but i know one who flys for a regional airline, flying saab340s.
Where he works, there is no such thing as a "flight dispatcher"...noone doing the boring work for him. Being the captain, he organises nearly everything before the flight.
Im guessing, flight dispatchers are only used for really large airlines, where pilots may have too many other preflight things to do, or it being so large, having to organise weather and passenger information would be too difficult.
I did experience a day in the life of a pilot for work experience, but i'll let the true pilots tell ya

I'm a flight dispatcher and its not boring in anyway. I love my job, Its true that pilots may have to do all the things a flight dispatcher has to do but only 'small' airfields. and i wouldnt say there only there for large airline because i work at a small airport which is growing. we have airlines like thomsonfly to flybe here. But i can only speak for the airfield i work for.

[frontier]

75 hours of paid flight time
290 hours away from home
53 hours of unpaid "duty" time at the airport
16 days off
Equivalent to working over 36 8-hour days at a regular job (290 hrs away/8 hours) and paid for 75 hours

If that is a month then i am shocked.
i fly about 25 hours a week in a318 and 8 hours in a319

[rjb4000]

If that is a month then i am shocked.
i fly about 25 hours a week in a318 and 8 hours in a319

Must be tough balancing middle school with flight simulator.. No?